October Legends and Americana Ending November 14th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/15/2015
His censor signature, “G.S Patton Jr,” accomplished on a 5.5” x .75” slip of paper removed from an envelope adding his rank “[L]t. Col.,” “Officers letter,” together with his address, “A.P.O. 714, [1918]. Light soiling and creasing that slightly affects signature, tear at left affects one letter in Patton’s rank, else good. Offered together with a partly-printed Document Signed, “Robt Howze,” as Commander of Cadets at the United States Military Academy, 1 page, 8” x 4”, [West Point, New York], August 1, 1906, being a disciplinary citation issued to Patton for refusing to stop after being challenged by a sentry at 2:45 a.m. Vertical creases, very light toning, else very good.
A pair of fine items from Patton’s early years. The censor signature dates from his time in France during the First World War, where he commanded the 1st U.S. Provisional Tank Brigade and oversaw some of the first usage of tanks in combat by U.S forces.
The second piece dates from the start of Patton’s third year at the United States Military Academy at West Point, though technically he was a second year student, having to repeat his first year after failing mathematics. Suffering from dyslexia, Patton struggled academically, but improved enough in his second year to earn him in the rank of 2nd Corporal.
In Command he proved overzealous. While he was a mediocre student, he excelled at drill and expected his subordinates to perform at the same level. Writing to his future wife Beatrice, he reported “I believe that I reported more men than any other Officer of the Day this summer.” So it was not without a tinge of irony that on August 1, 1906, someone cited Patton himself with a disciplinary infraction: “Patton, G.S.” for “Not halting when challenged by sentinel, but deliberately continuing his approach after answering the challenge. About 2.45 A.M.” The citation compelled “Cadet Patton, G.S. …to submit an explanation in writing for the above report [.]” Later the same month, Patton, either due to his overzealousness on the parade grounds, the early morning infraction, or both, found himself demoted to Sixth Corporal. Patton was not deterred admitting to Beatrice that, “It is true that they don’t like me but when I get out in front of them the foolishness stops.” (Carlo d’Este, “Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. at West Point, 1904-1909,” Armchair General, November 2006.)